Monster Slayer
by HeartGold Hufflepuff
Summary: Things get harder when the demons they fight no longer stay in there heads


**Chapter 1:**

 **Let Me Ask You Something**

Have you ever felt uncomfortable? Like… REALLY uncomfortable. The kind of uncomfortable where your blood runs cold and the back of your neck burns with the feelings of eyes upon you. The kind where your skin feels to small and your chest feels to tight, and your hands sweat as they try to hide themselves within the sleeves of your jacket. It makes you fidgety and causes your head to either freeze or race. It's awful. Horrid.

And it was the exact way Evan was feeling right now.

He had already been on-edge before he'd entered the dimly lit graveyard, worried that this shortcut still wouldn't get him home on time-get him home before his mother got back from work. But the moment he passed through the large, barred gate, wincing as the hinges squeaked loudly in protest, a dark feeling of dread began to pool in his stomach, making everything worse. He would jump constantly, just as startled as the birds that took off in a panicked flight whenever he accidentally drew to close to them, and his head would whirl around every time a gentle breeze blew through the flowers laid by the foot of the graves. All-in-all, this was not the best choice Evan had made today. But there was still time to make things worse, and, unfortunately, fate had decided to pick on the poor little, polo-wearing boy.

The first time Evan felt the strong sensation of eyes upon him his nerves compelled him to turn around, requiring visual proof that he was just as alone as he had been when he came in. The place was abandoned apart from Evan and the few birds that had made their home in the giant oak trees surrounding the place. So with a calming breath and some self-reassurance, the teenager turned back to the path and kept walking.

The second time, however, it was a silent whooshing sound along with the very same feeling that caused him to turn around with wide eyes and now unusually sweaty hands. And this time, he didn't get the visual proof he had expected.

Her eyes were strange, they were a salty green with a small mixture of dimmed cobalt blue, like a murky ocean glistening off the dull sunlight peeking through passing clouds. They stared into his own plain brown eyes with an unfocused look, like she were simply staring through Evan rather than at him.

That was unfortunately all Evan could take note of, because he turned back around so fast, eyes snapping down to stare as his still moving converse, that he almost tripped at the jerky shift of his weight. This was when he began feeling the uneasy discomfort.

She was just a lady passing through, just like him, Evan thought with very little conviction. That, or she was here to visit one of the graves. Both were very likely options, however, Evan couldn't seem to bring himself to believe either of them, head now racing with too many anxiously-driven conclusions to think to hard on the logical ones.

He wiped his hands nervously on his pants before bringing one of them up to tug at the end of his jacket sleeve, stretching it even further from its original stitching. He couldn't look back again, no matter what his nerves told him. That would be weird. He'd appear stranger than he must have already looked to her.

All he needed to do, was get out of the graveyard, then he'd be okay. He glanced upward, breath hitching as he realized he still had a ways to go. This fact, however, only compelled him to speed up his walk, but not fast enough to look unnatural.

After what felt like a mile long walk, Evan reached the other end of the graveyard, picking up his pace even more as he now navigated his way through the towering trees that surrounded the place. Evan fumbled around inside his pocket, pulling out his weird off-brand phone (as his friend called it) to use as a light since the sun had long since disappeared below the horizon. It was now barely illuminating the sky and giving it a faint orange pink color to mix with the black that was quickly taking over.

He assumed he would be home free at this point, but another loud whoosh followed by the heavy rustling of leaves proved otherwise. He slowly looked up from his shaky attempt to operate his phone and found himself once again staring into the cloudy ocean eyes of the stranger.

He wanted to bolt-to simply turn around a go back to way he came. But he couldn't take his eyes from her's, something strong in her blank gaze compelling him not to move or look away.

Evan opened his mouth to say something, racking his brain for some kind of greeting he could call out to the stranger in order to cut the heavily looming tension. But nothing came to mind. His mouth and throat far to dry to speak anyway. So he simply closed his mouth again, trying hard to gather the strength to avert his eyes.

"Hello, child." A soothing voice greeted, slicing through the air. A bit of life entered the stranger's face as her rosy lips curled themselves into a tight smile. "A bit late to be wandering around this part of town, don't you think?" She advanced towards him, but her movements were so slow that Evan didn't notice. "Are you lost?"

Evan's eyes regained their freedom and he took at quick glance at the woman now addressing him. She was tall and thin and was paler than anyone he'd seen before, comparable only the the bright moon that was now steady rising in the background. She had strawberry blonde hair that fell past her shoulders in gentle curls and side-swept bangs that stopped just above her thin eyebrows. She was cloaked in a black dress that went to her knees and hugged her thin frame lightly. Both her makeup and nails seemed to match the blackness of the dress. She certainly looked like someone who would visit a graveyard, or be heading to a funeral, at the very least.

"Did you not her me, young one?" The soft voice broke through Evan's thoughts. The question was more forceful than the previous one, certainly seeking to get an answer this time.

Evan's eyes snapped back up to meet hers and he could almost feel the nervous sweat beginning to break out on his hands and forehead. "U-Uh.." he stuttered dumbly. "N-No ma'am! I mean-I mean yes ma'am, I did hear y-you… I just- No-no I'm not lost…"

The tight smile grew as the woman gave a knowing nod. "I see." She was clearly closer as she brushed her hand against one of the trees, but Evan was far to focused on other things to notice this. "That's good to hear… but why are you so close to the graveyard? Few people often pass through such a place."

"Well, I-"

"Especially children…" She continued almost instantly, effectively shutting Evan up before he could properly respond. "Were you dared? That often seems to be a child's reason… just curious perhaps?" She giggled, and it seemed light and airy, soft and quiet as a gentle breeze passing through. Evan dare say that it almost sounded _ghostly._ "Well, you know what they say about curiosity." She added, smile morphing into a smirk that made the teenager's stomach knot.

Evan gulped, finally noticing how the woman was closing the distance between them. He involuntary began to match her stride step-for-step, moving back towards the graveyard he'd been so keen to get out of.

The woman, however, caught on to his movements much faster than he had to hers, and she stopped mid-stride, placing her foot back down as her face fell back into a passive, blank expression. "Scared…?" It didn't exactly sound like a question, but was phrased as one anyway.

Yes. "N-No, of course not." He let out a nervous laugh, which didn't help his case.

"Pity," she spoke in a monotone sort of voice. Then, her lips curled upward again and the pointed tooth-no, the pointed fang-that poked out caused Evan's feet to nearly trip over themselves. "It's always more amusing when they try to run."

That was the trigger Evan needed, finally giving his legs the consent they had long been waiting for to turn and start running. His shorter legs and shaking knees definitely didn't give him a smooth, long stride, but with his fight or flight instincts kicking in full force, they did give him surprising speed. But it sadly didn't matter.

Evan's panic-blurred vision cleared just enough for him to see that the woman was once again in front of him. Her face flashing him a sickening smile and her once murky eyes now shining with a repulsive red glow. He tried to stop, forgotten breathing coming out in mere gasps, feet stomping into the ground to help.

A loud, snake-like hiss echoed throughout the small forest and Evan seized up completely, paralyzed. This was it. This was how he died. Right outside a graveyard in the middle of the night. How cliche could his death be… just like something out of a bad romance or horror novel. The woman advanced and, still not having regained control of his shaking limbs, Evan shut his eyes, accepting his fate.

"Zoe!"

Evan gasped loudly as his arm was suddenly grabbed and his body was yanked to the side, his legs nearly giving way beneath him. He repressed a groan when he was shoved against one of the trees, rough bark scratching him through the fabric of his shirt.

Evan wasn't going to open his eyes, his brain repeatedly told him not to, just like a broken record. if this was it, then… he didn't want to watch. Deep down, despite the shaking and the gasping, and the panicked thoughts, Evan knew he should be brave. He should have been defiant, at least _trying_ to put up somewhat of a fight, and look her in the eyes and…

Evan really didn't want to look into those gleaming eyes that either mocked him or bored through him. He didn't want to scream but the silence was killing him. He didn't want to plead for his life, but at the same time, the thought of losing it this way scared him senseless. Not that any of that mattered. His brain never seemed to listen to him even when it was calm.

He released a breath, it shuttered out of him, and he decided upon shutting his eyes tighter. However, once another repulsive hiss sounded, followed by a sharp crack and an agonizing screech, Evan couldn't keep one of his terror-filled eyes from peeking. He was shocked to find that the person who still had a white knuckle grip on his arm was not the woman, but in fact a boy who honestly couldn't have been that much older than him.

Evan opened both his eyes completely, ignoring the blurriness that still minimized his vision, mouth gaping ever so slightly. Since when was there another boy? What happened to the woman? Hadn't she been the one to grab him? Apparently not. The small voice in the back of Evan's brain scolded him for being so pathetic and shutting his eyes for so long.

Evan squinted up at the tall boy, unable to clearly make out through the darkness the facial expressions and features of his… rescuer? He honestly wasn't sure yet. What if this boy was helping the woman in some weird way, or what if he was just trying to kill him _before_ her? Like, some kind or sick contest or-

A quiet yet firm voice cut through Evan's trailing thoughts and that's when the shorter boy realized he'd been staring blankly at the other. "Are you even listening? Geez… We don't have freaking time for this." Evan mentally kicked himself, what had the boy said? What had he missed? Shoot, he must have looked stupid and creepy just staring dumbly. "Will you stop daydreaming? I need you too-"

The boy suddenly fell silent and Evan had to bite his lip when the boy pushed him back harder against the tree and moved uncomfortably close. The boy's eyes moved away from his to glance around the tree's base. "Stay quiet." He ordered, even though Evan had yet to speak. His voice was barely above a whisper but the tone was so firm it made Evan physically flinch, which the other either didn't catch or simply ignored. "Don't move until I tell you to."

Evan wanted to ask how the boy exactly expected him to move, what with how close he was and the bruising grip that was still holding him, but his mouth still couldn't form words. His heart was beating too fast and his chest felt far to tight and-

Two other people suddenly came into view, they were far and mere silhouettes in the darkness, but Evan immediately recognized one of them as the lady, quickly seeing the red glow from her eyes. The two looked like they were fighting. The lady would leap and advance upon the other who was trying hit her back and strike her with what looked like… a sword? A stick? ...No. The two figures were suddenly flung into a large patch of moonlight when the woman was for forcefully tackled to the ground. His eyes widened. It was a stake. A wooden stake. And the girl, now on top of her, was going straight for the chest.

Evan almost looked away when the stake finally hit its mark, digging through both the cloth and skin, and the woman released an ear-shattering scream that even made the boy in front of him flinch. But, his attention became renewed and glued to the scene as the woman began to dissolve into nothing more than a pile of dust beneath the panting girl.

His brain basically shut off all its other functions as it tried desperately to comprehend what it had just witnessed. His trembling had stopped completely along with his shallow breathing as the scene replayed itself over and over again. He slowly tore his gaze away from the scattering dust and looked up to see the boy staring at him again.

"So… uh," The taller teenagers shoulders rose and fell in a shrug, as of trying to play off what had just happened.

"Vampire…?" Evan supplied breathlessly.

"Vampire." The other confirmed.

Evan nodded, faintly aware of the hand on his arm pulling him away from the tree. He blinked, dazed, as he forced his mind and body to focus on breathing instead. The first few breaths he managed to suck in were small and short, but grew deeper and steadier as he continued. "T-That's… that's weird." Evan managed to say after a moment, then instantly regretted it because of how dumb it must have sounded.

The other chuckled, a deep and slightly dry chuckle, and shrugged again. Evan was sure of the smirk that was forming on the others face. "You have no idea."


End file.
